Sword and Chrysanthemum
by Twister Fries
Summary: Naruto AU. Do you think that a sword that protects someone is stronger than a sword that is used to protect yourself?
1. One Opportunity, One Encounter

**Naruto AU. Set in Medieval Japan.**

 **Alright. So, this is a new story from me. It's more of a side-project than a main one, A.K.A. something I just do for the lolz. I sometimes write this whenever I get a writer's block in writing Reconnaissance. Which is why this story would not have a set update schedule. Not that my other story has a set schedule either but, oh well.**

 **Okay. Let's go.**

* * *

In a small, lone village, surrounded in darkness, the sound of a scabbard getting dragged onto the ground was echoing throughout. Fits of coughing came along after, blood spluttering onto the gravels, but he continued walking on, lifting his feet one step after another, ignoring the way they shook uncontrollably from overuse. Pure black eyes scanned around the area, his vision blurring as each second passes by, finding a place where he could stop for a while to rest. Deciding onto the house just a few feet away from him, he pushed beyond his body's limits one more time for this night to go to the back of the house and sit there onto the cold, hard ground, leaning his head onto the wooden wall.

Exhaling and spitting out some blood from his mouth, he removed the sleeves of his yukata just to see that some parts of his body were turning black, particularly his abdomen. Clicking his tongue, he fixed his clothing and put his sword to the side, thinking to himself that the wounds are not enough to end his life today. He had experienced far worse than what he had right now.

His eyes looked up at the moon above him, wondering how far he was from Kusa, the last village he was in before he was found. He didn't know where he was right now either. Not that it was really important anyway. It's not like he's going to stay here for too long. This village was too small to keep him safe. It would be hard to blend in among the crowd. It would only take days before his pursuers would find him here, compare to big villages like Kusa and the much more humongous Suna.

He just needs to rest for a while before moving on to the next village. Perhaps, Iwa would be his next destination. He's quite interested in the mountains there in the village. Or maybe he could go back to Kusa, thinking that his pursuers would never get an idea that he would be stupid enough to go back there, but knowing his pursuers, they would be staying in there for a while, waiting for him like a dog. Those people were smart, determined, and persistent.

Sighing as he shook off his thoughts, he suddenly felt his eyes drooping down, begging for sleep. Everything was going silent around him, his senses giving up on him one by one. He closed his eyes, giving in to the fatigue, his hand comfortably resting on the scabbard of his sword. A few minutes would do, and then he would be off towards Iwa.

Praying for safety in his head, his body had finally gave in.

* * *

Her eyes focused onto the man in front of her that leaned on to the walls of the back of her house as he slept. She really didn't know if he was unconscious or not, but judging by the way he hadn't woken up when she dropped the broom when she saw him as soon as she got out of the house, perhaps he really was unconscious.

Her eyes landed onto the sword under his hand, amazed at how beautiful the weapon was. The scabbard was deep red, just like its hilt, while the handguard was golden. Even the band tied onto the scabbard was red, though a shade darker. She can't believe that a weapon used for violence could be this marvelous to look at.

She watched him breathe peacefully, his head down, covering his eyes with his disheveled brown hair. His yukata was loose enough for her to see his body that was covered in scars and bruises. It was truly a warrior's body. He was lean, but his arms had enough muscles to show that he was a true swordsman. Even his left hand showed it, with callouses in the right places, no doubt that it came from holding his sword a million times in his lifetime. Judging by the freshness of some of his wounds, it seems to be that he had been in a fight before he got here in Konoha. She checked his pulse and touched his neck to see if he had a fever, noticing that he was warmer than normal.

Standing up and brushing her kimono down, she removed the sword from his hand gently and went inside her home. Putting the sword that she brought with her on the dining table, she went to her room to prepare a futon for the man sleeping outside her home.

* * *

It has been a while since he had slept on a futon.

In fact, why was he in a futon anyway? Didn't he blacked out on the ground?

Realizing the situation he was in, he quickly rose up, only to groan when he felt an immense pain on his abdomen and right shoulder. His hand instinctively went to where the pain was coming from, noticing that it was wrapped in bandages. Not only his torso, but his arms were wrapped up as well, with the smell of a minty herb coming from them. He took a quick look around in the room, noticing his trusty sword placed beside his bed. Nothing was damaged at all, the condition of it still the same as before.

What was happening? When he woke up, he was definitely sure that he was captured. It was a perfect opportunity since he fell unconscious, which he mistook for drowsiness. However, he was sure that no one would be an idiot to treat him and leaving his sword beside him, with no one to guard him whatsoever. No idiot in this world would be stupid enough to leave the sword beside an unguarded swordsman. It was like the person who took him in was asking to be murdered.

He could hear the sound of water running, with the accommodating sound of plates clanking with each other, through his door. Whoever took him in must have been really kind, however, unfortunately for that person, his or her life must end now. He couldn't afford leaving that person alive. The person is going to get killed anyway for treating him, so might as well be him who ends it instead of leaving it to his captors.

Taking a deep breath and standing up, he took his sword and slid the door open as quiet as he could.

* * *

She sighed to herself when she got another cut on her finger while she was cutting vegetables. She may be good at cooking, as people told her several times, but her hands were still clumsy enough to cut her finger. Wincing as she dunked her finger into the pale of water, her thoughts wandered to the man she brought in, who was currently sleeping in the spare room she has.

Her face began to flush red when she remembered taking off his clothes to treat his wounds. As much as she didn't like invading his privacy without his permission, she didn't really have any choice. There were stab wounds on his hips and legs and, in order to reach them, as well as to stop the bleeding, she had to remove his yukata. She whispered an apology to the unconscious man countless times as she applied medicine to each of his wounds.

She was just thankful that the man was unconscious throughout the process. She really didn't know what to do if the man suddenly woke up and saw her removing his clothes.

A water dripped onto the water, making her look up at the ceiling, checking if there were leaks. She found none. Besides, it wasn't raining for the roof to leak. She felt something running along her cheeks, only to realize that it was her sweat that dripped onto the water. She found it odd since it was the middle of autumn, so there was no reason for her to sweat in the cold weather.

Her hands were suddenly trembling, and her breathing was starting to become ragged. She could feel her heart beating faster and louder, the hairs on the back of her neck rising, her world darkening each second, but she didn't know why. She was starting to panic, but it wasn't because of the blood that was coming out from her finger. No, this was a different sensation. A feeling that she was unfamiliar with, but knew what it was.

The fear of being killed.

She heard the wooden floor creak, and in one swift motion, she turned around, only to find a blade just barely touching the skin between her eyes, with the man she rescued staring at her intently, his sword being gripped by his right hand. His pure black eyes devoid of any emotion felt like he was staring at her soul more than her physical body itself.

She gritted her teeth, trying not to move a single muscle or else, her eyes would get stabbed. That fear she had was not because she was sensitive to her surroundings, but his killing intent was so intense that she could feel it. There was no doubt that he was serious on killing her then and there, no hesitation or regrets. She quickly looked at her left, eyeing the knife that she was just using to cook a few minutes ago. If she could just get the hold of that and use it as some sort of defense… It may not be a helpful weapon against a swordsman of his caliber, but it was enough of a weapon to faze him.

She noticed that, unfortunately for her, the man may have noticed her intentions as he was looking at the knife as well, but for some strange reason, he never did anything. He did not move to grab the knife and place it far from her reach, nor did he taunted her to use it. He stood there, motionless, still holding his sword near her head, and that made her even more scared of him than before. He was confident that even if she used that knife, she still stood no chance against him.

"You're really an idiot, aren't you?" he suddenly asked, his voice rough and strained. She knew that she should feel offended with his comment, but the fear in her body just overruled every other emotion. He then dropped the sword, the sound of its clank echoing throughout the room, then dropped his right arm to his side after it. "If you treated me, then you should know what was wrong."

She sighed loudly, catching her breath as soon as he dropped his sword, his words replaying again and again inside her mind. Her eyes went to his right hand that looked limp, then finally realized what he was referring to.

"Y-You… You are not right handed…" she said, her soft and exhausted voice making it sound like she was whispering when that wasn't her intention at all. The man looked at her for a second, before crouching down to grab the sword he dropped with his left hand, further confirming her conclusion. Not only did she forgot that he was left handed when she even took a look on it before she brought him in, but his right shoulder was wounded, which would make gripping the sword harder if he was right handed.

"But you… you really did thought of killing me, did you not?" she asked the man who was checking up his sword. She was sure that the killing intent that came from him was not an act. She was definitely sure that he really had intended to kill her then and there before he called her an idiot.

The man sheathed his sword after looking at it a couple of times, content that it had no damage whatsoever. He seemed to have regretted dropping his treasured sword like that. "I changed my mind when I saw you. You looked and felt harmless."

That still did not explain the intensity of his killing intent. She definitely felt it throughout that ordeal. If he had changed his mind the moment that he saw her, that is, when he opened the door to his room, then why did it not disappear at all? Watching the man who crossed his arms by slipping them into his sleeves, she thought to herself that he might have been lying, but decided to just drop the subject altogether. She really did not want to enrage this man, afraid that he would attack her.

Noticing that there was blood seeping through his bandages, no doubt from his actions, she took a step forward and reached out her hand to examine it, only for him to back off when she did. Their eyes met, his eyes still black and frightening, but calmer compared to moments ago. She immediately looked down, an instinctive move on her part whenever she meets the eye of someone.

"I-I'm just… going to check…" she trailed off, her voice shaky due to nervousness. He then looked at his bandaged body and saw that there were blood stains that weren't there before. It was obvious that he didn't even notice, and she was left to wonder how he managed to tolerate the pain.

With a quiet sigh, he went back to his room, bringing his sword along him, and she took that as a cue to follow him, as well as allowing her to fix him up. It felt a lot better when she had permission than when she didn't.

"M-my name," she started, but he never turned around to face her, instead shifting only his eyes to look at her. As long as she has his attention, then she doesn't really mind it. "It's Hinata."

The man gave no response nor acknowledgement to Hinata, much to her disappointment. Here she was, introducing herself as a form of respect, and he ignores her. He could've nodded, or let out a hum, anything that indicated that he heard her, but it seems to be that he never cared.

While Hinata went to the closet to get the necessary materials, her eyes constantly went back and forth to the man who sat onto the futon and proceeded to take off the sleeves of his yukata, exposing his wrapped up torso. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she looked down, trying to avoid looking at his body. Even if his body was wrapped up in bandages, filled with wounds, bruises, and scars everywhere, it was still attractive to look at. Just the view of his back showed how strong of a warrior he is, and how much he is confident of his abilities as a swordsman. There's also the fact that there was a man in Hinata's house, and that somehow makes her even more nervous and flustered.

"Kiba."

His sudden voice surprised Hinata, making her drop the box that contained the medicines. His back was faced towards her, but his face was turned to her, making Hinata wonder if he noticed that she was gazing at him for a while now, much to her embarrassment.

She went down on her knees to pick up the ointments and the medicines that poured out of their containers. "What?" she asked, as she grabbed the gauze and rolled it neatly in her hand.

"It's my name," he said. She heard him wince in pain when he started unwrapping the bandage from his body by himself. "It's Kiba."

"How about your surname?" she knelt down near him and helped with removing the bandages, careful to be slow and gentle with her hands.

"You didn't give out yours as well."

"It… is not important."

"Same here."

After mutually agreeing to not tell each other's surname, Hinata then proceeded to start treating him. Sometimes she could feel Kiba's eyes on her, watching as her hands did everything automatically, which makes her hands tremble. She's really not used to someone watching her work, and even if someone was watching her, their eyes didn't feel as intense as his. His gaze felt like he was observing, or studying, how she had treated him, perhaps to use what he had learned in the future.

It was odd, feeling nervous yet comfortable being in the same room as Kiba, when a few minutes ago, he was about to kill her. It might be because he doesn't emanate a dangerous aura anymore, his stance and posture being more lax. She still has her guard on whenever she faces his back to him, but she trusts him enough to not take advantage of that.

* * *

Kiba stared at the sleeping figure of Hinata, watching her shoulders go up and down that matched her slow and calm breathing. He only had to wonder how she could sleep in his presence when he could just slash open her skull right now, with no one to know who did it. He could easily chop her head off, or just cut off her tendons, destroying her life for all eternity, maybe cutting her tongue off while at it, leaving everyone to wonder who did it.

She stirred a bit, making him flinch and back off, and sighed when she did not wake up. He then closed the door to her room then went back to "his" own. He tucked the sword into his sash then climbed up the window sill.

As much as Kiba appreciated the kindness that Hinata showed to him, to the point that he revealed his name to her, he had to go. He couldn't afford to stay here for any longer. Not only did he endanger himself by staying here, wasting time, but he has endangered another person's life. He had to go to ensure Hinata's safety, as well as her own. His wounds might not have closed yet, his whole body still feeling tired and painful, the medicines that Hinata had applied would probably make them heal faster.

He had thought of just leaving her a letter, but decided not to do so. Commoners like Hinata would not be able to read it, knowing that they haven't received education.

Looking at the moon above him, admiring its brightness and roundness, he dangled his feet on the window, ready to jump off, when he suddenly heard his door slid open.

"Where are you going?" Hinata asked, her eyes half-open, her mouth in a frown. Kiba stared at her with widened eyes, surprised that she had awoken when he just checked her a while ago, while trying to ignore how loose her kimono was. "You can't go. You're still wounded," she said, her tone was not angry, rather, just stating the obvious.

Kiba looked outside, feeling a sense of longing, then looking at Hinata who was patiently waiting for his response. Judging by her tone, it seems to be that she really did not mind if he went out of the window and walked off. She was just stating what she thought, no force or coercion.

Giving one final look at Hinata, who immediately looked down when their eyes met, Kiba removed his feet from the window and removed the sword from his sash, placing it gently onto the tatami floor. Hinata was obviously surprised at his decision to stay, and he was as well. The woman didn't even tried to convince him, and yet, he chose to stay for the night.

Hinata licked her lips and asked about his wounds, before saying good night to him. He watched her bow at him and close the door to his room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He looked up at the moon that shone brightly above the town, providing what little light it has to the room, before he went back to his futon and lied down, closing his eyes.

As much as he didn't really like staying here, it would be really rude to leave Hinata without thanking her one bit. He might as well stay for one night, thank her, then just leave after that. After all, it's only once in his lifetime when someone is nice to him.

* * *

"Where is it?"

Hinata refused to look at Kiba who was standing behind her and was trying to control his voice and anger as much as he can. She couldn't see him, but she knew that he was going to explode any minute now. "The what?" she asked, continuing to wash the rice, trying to put up a front.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Kiba walked towards Hinata and forced her to look at him by turning her, gripping her shoulder tightly. Hinata winced in pain and tried to remove his hand, but her strength proved futile against his grip. "Where's Akamaru?"

"Aka-what?" she really had no idea what he was talking about, or referring to.

"Akamaru!" he exclaimed, and grumbled when he saw Hinata's still clueless face. "Sekigan, if you want to call it otherwise," he explained, but Hinata still got the same expression. "My sword, you idiot!"

Hinta's mind recalled the beautiful and striking red sword of Kiba, and realized that "Akamaru" was the name of his sword. Ignoring being called an idiot for the second time, she stared at his eyes directly, trying to compete with his rage. "I hid it."

"What?!"

"I hid it. I won't give it back until you are fully healed," she said, surprised that she was able to say that straight. After seeing Kiba almost run away when she just took him in and treated him, Hinata was nervous. Kiba wasn't healed yet – at all – and for him to just run away without even thinking about his health has made her worry. Perhaps taking him in made her think that she had some sort of responsibility over him. That she had the responsibility to watch over and take care of him. If he ever died out there, she knew that she would feel guilty about it, and guilt was something Hinata wouldn't be able to handle well.

It only took a split second before the atmosphere around her house had changed, as if something had snapped in Kiba's mind, turning on his killing intent in a blink of an eye. It only took a split second for Kiba's grip on Hinata's shoulders became so hard that made her think he was about to break her shoulder. It only took a split second for Kiba's eyes to change, his eyes becoming more ferocious and insane, replacing the calm and uninterested eyes that he usually had. She started panicking as soon as their eyes met, her breathing becoming ragged like before. She froze on the spot, her hands and her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Where is it?" he asked once again, his tone scarily calm and collected.

Hinata swore that she heard her shoulder crack a bit. "I promise I'll give it back! I'll give it back after you get healed! I-I promise!" She cried out in pain, her eyes filled with tears, and was about to scream when Kiba had let go, his violent aura disappearing at the same time.

Her legs gave out on her, and she dropped onto the ground while holding her shoulder. It wasn't broken, but it might as well be considered as broken. Noticing that Kiba was motionless, she looked up, only to find Kiba staring at her room, looking at the cabinet there.

There was no doubt. Kiba actually knew where Hinata had hid his sword.

Hinata was about to ask something when the knock on the door made both of them flinch. They both looked at the door, hearing the knocks a second time, before looking at each other.

* * *

"Shikamaru…?" Hinata said as she opened the door bit by bit, trying to ignore the pain she was feeling on her shoulder. She was just glad that it wasn't her right shoulder that he assaulted. "Uh, g-good morning."

"G'morning," Shikamaru Nara said, nodding at Hinata as he blew out some smoke from his pipe, being careful not to blow it at the woman in front of him. Hinata didn't really liked the smell of cigars, finding them really awful, but did not have the courage to tell Shikamaru about that. She knew that it was Shikamaru's way of releasing his stress, especially for his role as the assistant of shogun, even if the cigar was bad for his health. Even his wife couldn't able to make him stop smoking, no matter how much she had hit or shouted him to the point that it could be considered as abuse.

"I-is there something you need?" she asked.

"No. Just wanted to give you something," Shikamaru said, handing her a basket of fruits and vegetables. "It's from Chouji. Fresh pick."

Hinata took the basket from Shikamaru's hand, and gasped when the weight had increased the pain in her shoulders. Noticing Shikamaru's worried look, she laughed it off and checked the content, finding some apples, oranges, peaches, along with some carrots and cabbages.

"You have someone in there?"

"…W-w-what?" Hinata stuttered, her heartbeat stopping for a second.

"Just asking. You have two teacups out so, I was wondering if you have a guest," he simply stated.

Hinata looked at the table and saw that Shikamaru was right. There were two teacups on the table. She was intending to serve tea to herself and Kiba, but was immediately forgotten when Kiba had started asking the whereabouts of his sword.

"I… I was just cleaning…" she weakly said. Shikamaru's nod indicated that he was content with her answer, much to her relief. For someone who was known to be lazy in the village, he sure is perceptive and observant. She didn't even know that Shikamaru was looking behind her, and wondered if he always did that whenever he visits her home – or anyone's home for that matter.

"Anyway, I'll be going now. I've got work to do," Shikamaru said as he started to walk. Everyone knew that Shikamaru, despite his words, never goes directly to work. It was just a code for "I'm going to stare at the clouds for hours before going to work." Hinata always wondered why the daimyo had kept him as an assistant when Shikamaru's always late for work. But then again, the daimyo wasn't really strict with the time since the daimyo himself is late as well always.

"Thank you, Shikamaru!" Hinata called out, with Shikamaru just raising his hand, acknowledging her thanks. She then closed the door and sighed loudly, thankful that Shikamaru didn't get suspicious. Putting the basket on the table, she then went to Kiba's room, finding him just sitting there in silence.

She really didn't know why she had asked Kiba to hide, when it could have been easier to just show him to Shikamaru and explain. But then again, though Kiba is a swordsman, he was a _ronin_ – a wandering swordsman with no master to serve. She already knew the instant she found Kiba behind her house, knowing that no swordsman with a master would be alone and wounded. No master wouldn't allow to leave his subordinate to wander around and fend off for himself. A wandering swordsman like Kiba was shunned in society, and she was afraid that by revealing him to Shikamaru, and Konoha itself, she was afraid what the village would do to him. Kiba also seemed to understand his situation when he agreed to hide.

She then proceeded to cut one of the apples that she just received and placed them on a plate, handing them to Kiba who was looking at her with widened eyes. Hinata's surprised too as much as he is. No sane person would be kind to someone who just hurt them, but here she was. Hinata was starting to think that she was a masochist, but she just couldn't leave him alone despite his violent tendencies. Some people might call her crazy, while other would describe it as pity, but Hinata might consider it as just wanting to keep him company.

"Why does you sword have two names?" she asked, watching Kiba hesitate to grab an apple.

After some contemplating, he finally took one and bit it. "It's how you read the kanji. It's written with the kanji for red and round, like this," he wrote the word 赤丸 in the air. "The kanji can be both read as Sekigan and Akamaru. The former is the official name, but I prefer to call it the latter. It's easier," he explained, taking another bite from the slice of apple, with Hinata noticing that his canines were unusually sharp.

Maybe she didn't just want to keep him company. Maybe she actually liked the fact that she wasn't alone now. That she had someone to talk to in this small, quiet home of hers. Even though Kiba was violent and scary, he was kind and respectful as long as you get on his good side.

"I promise to give it back, Kiba," she said, catching his attention. "As soon as you are healed, I will instantly give it back. I promise."

She heard him click his tongue in annoyance.

"Whatever."

* * *

 **Congratulations. You've reached the end. Here's some mochi.**

 **Uh, please review? ...please?**

 **Anyway, thank you, and see you next chapter~**


	2. Thousand Cherry Blossoms

**Still alive.**

 **Thank you for the reviews and the favorites and etcetera. You guys make me and my heart dance.**

 **Anyway, here's Chapter 2. Enjoy~**

* * *

He wakes up from the sound of the knife hitting the chopping board. For a second, he thought that he was back again. Back in his home. His home that stood on top of the hill and surrounded by countless number of trees. Where cold winds blew every single night that you could not sleep without a blanket on top of you. The faint sound of the waterfall could be heard from afar and the stars served as the light in the dark.

One look towards the ceiling made him sigh. His home did not have a white ceiling. Nor was the room as big as this. It was small. Much smaller, but still cozy.

Kiba held his head as he rose up from the futon, groaning at the pain. His eyes instinctively darted towards his side, only to remember that the woman had hid his sword. His head turned towards the door when he heard the sound of running water, mixed with the voice of the woman quietly humming a tune. Closing his eyes upon hearing plates clanking with each other, his irritation quickly subsided. It was nostalgic hearing those sounds again. The sounds of home.

Inside his head, he heard the voice of his mother calling his name. It was faint, but it was there. Images of his sister appeared as well. Blurred, but it was there.

He slowly opened his eyes, looking tiredly at his limp hands. As much as he liked the comfortable place he was staying in, it sure did bring up unpleasant memories. Memories he thought he had forgotten.

When he tries standing up, he immediately felt a pang on his side. Not only was his head aching, but his body seems to be as well. He loosens up his clothing only to see blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around his torso. It wasn't a lot, but it sure was painful.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he decides to ignore the pain and proceeded towards the door. The world felt like it was spinning as he takes one step after another. His body felt heavy and sluggish, but he could manage. He's had worse. Food will solve all his problems.

* * *

Hinata jumped a bit when the door slammed open, causing her to almost drop the plate. She quickly turns around and saw Kiba, looking worse than she remembered. He looked like he could fall unconscious any second.

"Oh." She smiles out of relief, putting her hand on her chest. Her heart was still beating fast from the surprise earlier. "I didn't know you were awake already." She did hear him shuffle around but thought that it was because he was moving around in his sleep.

His hand was inside his clothing, placed on his hip, though he immediately removed it when he noticed that she was looking.

Putting the plate to the side, she approaches him. "Are you okay?"

Before she could even touch him, he grabs her by the wrist which made Hinata tense up. Previous encounters with him proved that he could and _would_ harm her just because he can. Kiba would not hesitate for one second and would not feel guilt and regret upon doing so. Hinata was about to let out an apology, only to notice that his grip wasn't even tight to begin with. It simply did not have any power to it.

He weakly pushes her hand away before sitting on the floor, in front of the small table where the food was placed. He runs his hand through his hair and rubs the back of his neck tiredly.

"I'm fine," he finally answers in a weak tone.

Hinata watches him as he grabs his chopsticks and says grace, her eyes filled with concern. She rubs the part where he just grabbed her a few seconds ago before proceeding to kneel on the floor, sitting across him. While she didn't fully trusted Kiba's words, there was nothing she could do. Forcing him would just probably end up in disastrous results. The only thing she could do was just wait for him to admit it, though she knows it was near impossible for him to do so.

She picks up the pickled cucumbers she prepared and places a slice in her mouth. It was a dish that she prepares almost every single day, but could never perfect the taste. Sometimes it was too salty, while other times, it was too bland. Today was on the bland side unfortunately and she could only sigh in disappointment.

Kiba didn't seem to mind, however. While he does eat slower than average, he does not blurt out any complaints about the food.

As he takes a mouthful of rice, she notices his eyes darting towards the fish on his right. Like she had expected, he goes for it next, picking apart the fish with his chopsticks in perfect motion. Removing the bones was a tedious task, but he made it look easy.

She blinks a few times, watching his hand. It was probably the first time she had seen someone use their left hand for their chopsticks. Not that it was wrong. It was just peculiar to her. Though she does wonder if his parents ever corrected him on it.

"I'm sorry if this is all I could offer," she said apologetically, laying her chopstick down. There were a lot of things she could have prepared considering that Konoha was a village surrounded with natural resources. However, she decided to go with a simple dish, considering that she didn't know what Kiba even liked. Even then, it was still disappointing since she failed at the pickled vegetables, one of the simplest dish you could prepare.

He stops eating for a while, looking at her with furrowed eyebrows, before continuing. "I don't mind. Food is luxury for me. I don't have any time to be picky about it."

Hinata did not know if that was a compliment or not. Kiba was probably saying that her cooking is, in fact, mediocre. He just doesn't care because, in his own words, food is luxury for him. Nonetheless, it did uplift her spirits a bit in an odd way.

The sound of chopsticks falling on the floor broke her out of her mood, however. Her eyes followed the utensils as it rolled away, waiting for him to pick it up. Her ears picked up Kiba's suppressed voice and saw him hunched over, gripping his side tightly. Hinata quickly crawled towards him when she saw blood on his clothes.

She calls out his name, catching him just as he fell, his head landing on top of her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she immediately felt how abnormally warm he was. She touched his neck and forehead. It was even warmer than when she had found him lying down at the back of her house.

Kiba keeps drifting in and out of his consciousness, spouting words that she could not understand. She lays him down on the floor, loosening his clothing, only to see his bandages dyed in red. Removing the bandages only revealed the swelling wound on his hip, the same wound she had treated a few days ago.

Her mind started to panic. Did she make a mistake? Was Kiba perhaps allergic to the medicine she applied? If it was, then he would have shown symptoms earlier than now.

She bit her lips. It was becoming obvious that this was something she could not handle on her own. Though she may have applied first aid to Kiba, it wasn't enough for him to heal properly. He needed someone professional. An actual doctor.

Hinata looked at her bloodied hand before looking at Kiba. Without having second thoughts, she runs outside. She bumps into Shikamaru upon coming out of her house and apologizes quickly, before proceeding to knock onto the door of Sakura Haruno.

* * *

Shikamaru scratches his head in confusion as he watched a frantic Hinata apologize to him in hurry and proceeded to run towards Sakura's home. Choji grabs him by the arm and proceeds to help him stand up while chuckling softly. Though Shikamaru always finds this a bit insulting, his confusion regarding the situation distracted him from it.

He bends down onto the ground, picking up his smoking pipe and dusting the dirt off. Realizing that the flames were out, he lets out a huff from his nose and decided to keep it inside his sleeve instead. It was such a waste, but his wife would probably think that it was a blessing from the gods. He couldn't even count the number of times his wife scolded him for it.

"I wonder what that was about," Choji says. Shikamaru shrugged as he watched Sakura open her door. Hinata was flat-out panicking. He could see hints of blood on her hands and, at first, thought that the woman may have injured her hand while cooking and was asking Sakura for treatment.

The way Sakura reacted however, proved otherwise. Her confused face turned pale after a while, and she went back inside her home immediately. Hinata keeps looking back to her house, and Shikamaru couldn't help his curiosity any longer.

It's not like he's going to intrude her privacy. He was just going to take a peek. Two different things.

He starts walking towards Hinata's home, with Chouji following him reluctantly. Fortunately, the door was left open. He peeks inside and swears that his heart stopped for a few seconds. An unfamiliar man was laying on the floor, with blood pooling below him. At first, Shikamaru thought that he was dead until he saw him trying to move. The man was trying to sit up, his arms trembling as rose himself. Despite the obvious pain, the man made no sounds aside from his ragged breathing.

"Move!" Sakura pushes Shikamaru aside so hard that he fell of his balance, only for Chouji to catch him. It was embarrassing, falling two times in a single day, not even hours apart. Hinata passes by in front of them, glancing worriedly at him for a second before proceeding to go inside. She kneels beside Sakura, who keeps shuffling through her box of medicine and tools and asks for the man to lie down.

Hinata's hand touches his shoulder and Shikamaru saw the man tense, stopping in his attempt to stand up. He glares at the woman, his eyes shifting quickly at Shikamaru, but eventually lies down after several pleas from Hinata. There, his body finally gives in and he falls unconscious, and Hinata nods at Sakura to proceed with the treatment.

Shikamaru couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the scene. Did the two know each other? What was their relationship? When did he get here? He did have doubts that Hinata had a visitor judging from his last visit, but did not care enough to confirm. It was too troublesome.

He hears murmuring behind his back and saw many villagers talking, obviously starting rumors. Some people did not even hide their desire to peak. He looks back at Hinata and Sakura who were too busy with their own business to even notice the commotion.

"Chouji, can you do me a favor?" he asks his friend who stood tall behind him, the only reason why there's no one attempting to approach the place. Chouji may have a constant smile on his face, but his large body intimidated a lot of people. Especially those who may not know him on a personal level.

Chouji just nods with a big smile on his face before shouting at the onlookers to mind their own business. Kids started to run away screaming, mothers and old ladies started to walk away from the scene with a dissatisfied look on their face, and men continued their jobs. Chouji look left and right, making sure that everyone was doing what they are supposed to do, before smiling with satisfaction.

Hinata suddenly peaks from the doorway, surprising Shikamaru a bit. "Thank you," she says in a small voice as she wiped off a tear from her eye, smearing blood on the edge. She looks back inside her home, watching Sakura do her job, before going back in to kneel beside the man. She puts his hand on his forehead, running it down his hair. Sakura reassures her with a smile that he would be fine.

Shikamaru smiles as well, letting out an air of relief. As expected from Sakura. She did not waste all that training Tsunade gave her. He was glad that she took that offer from the old hag or else, their village would be in crisis considering Tsunade's always "busy."

He brings out the pipe from his sleeve and placed it in his mouth as some sort of comfort. As much as he wanted to just barge in and ask Hinata some questions running on his mind, it seems that it would have to wait for a moment. After today's ordeal, he's sure that Hinata would explain either way.

* * *

For the second time, he wakes up, somehow feeling worse than ever before. The awful pain in his hip was gone, replaced with a numb feeling that made him think for a second that his lower half was gone, and his head felt groggy. Simple actions such as maintaining his eyes open took so much effort to do so. He attempts to go back to sleep but could not do so.

He blinks at the ceiling and finally notices that it was already dark. The last thing he could recall was Hinata bringing a woman with her and that's where he fell unconscious.

How long had he slept? Hours? Is tomorrow already today?

Kiba ponders for a while and was about to rise from his bed only to notice Hinata sleeping beside him. Though her head was on the sheets, her body was laying on the tatami mats. Her hair remained tied, though loose, and her obi was slightly messed up. Beside her was a small pail of water which contained a small white cloth with small stains of blood. The water reeked of the smell of medicine.

He moves the pail away from her when she started shifting around a bit. He lets out a hiss when he moved, but was glad that it did not wake up the woman. The last thing he wanted right now is to deal with her.

His eyes glances down to the woman beside him again and he could only let out an air from his nose from annoyance. Never once did Hinata cared that she left herself defenseless around him. Then again, she was dumb enough to take him in and care for him. Kiba was used to threatening someone to give him food or medicine so much that this act of kindness was a first to him. After all, no one was willing enough to treat someone of his status.

"Why do you waste so much time on me," he whispers, adjusting the blanket to cover Hinata with it.

* * *

Before the sun could even fully rise, Sakura Haruno was already awake. Though she wanted to sleep in more, she had some duties to do. Specifically, a man named Kiba who currently resided in Hinata's home. She explained that the man was a traveler who met with a grave danger during his travels. He then somehow managed to arrive at Konoha and rested behind Hinata's home where she found him unconscious.

As she wore her green haori over her pink kimono, her mind wanders to Kiba once more. As much as she wanted to believe Hinata, her explanation was a bit unbelievable, to say the least. The man had metal shrapnel inside him which caused the infection in the first place. Not only that, but the wound was very deep which was probably caused by a sword. While nothing new, it was weird for a simple traveler like Kiba to have it. Unless he was a criminal.

Judging from his appearance, she slightly believed that he was. Especially with the look he gave to Hinata when she was begging him to listen. That was not a simple glare. It had a threatening vibe to it.

Of course, as the doctor of the village, she still had to treat that man who was entrusted into her care. With one last look at the mirror, she heads towards Hinata's home.

Half-way there, she spots Kiba coming out of the house, closing the door behind him. Sakura widens her eyes, surprised that he could even walk despite the wound and immediately runs towards him.

"Where are you going?" she asks.

He glances at her, his left arm hanging limply inside his kimono, leaving the sleeve empty. She notices the bandages still wrapped around his torso and sighed in relief. At least he wasn't an idiot like some people here who thinks that bandages just constrict them.

He clicks his tongue and started walking away. "None of your business."

"Does Hinata know you're going out?"

"She's dead."

Sakura paled in an instant, her hands letting go of the box that contained her medical supplies. "Y-you…!" Kiba looks at her unamusingly, which made her furious. As much as she wanted to punch him there and report him to the police, she needed to check on Hinata first to see if there was something left she could do for her.

She barges in her home, not even taking her sandals off and ran towards the room where she last left the two of them yesterday.

Sakura slams the door open and saw Hinata on the bed. She kneels and removes the blanket that covered her, and let out a sigh of relief when she saw her breathe. Upon realizing that she had been lied to, she immediately heads out of the house, only to not see him there anymore.

Her eyebrows knitted down in confusion and massages her temple in frustration. At least no one died, but did he have to lie about something like that? Did he find it funny? He probably did. He surely did.

* * *

Hinata wakes up, her body feeling slightly stiff from wearing her kimono to bed. She was only planning to sleep for a few minutes, but ended up sleeping longer than that. Much longer than she had expected. It was already morning, for goodness sake. Although she admits that she slept well. Perhaps, a little too well.

Since she was on a bed.

She suddenly rises, looking around confused. This wasn't her room, and she was sure that she did not bring a bed to this room. Her eyes darted beside her and realizes that Kiba was missing.

Her heart stops for a second and quickly headed out of the room, stumbling on the way. She slides the door open, about to head outside of her house only to notice Sakura standing near the sink, surprised of her outburst.

"Oh," Sakura says, laughing as she held her chest from surprise. "You're awake."

"Where's Kiba?" Hinata frantically asks.

Sakura scrunches down her eyebrows in annoyance upon hearing his name. "He went out for a while. Don't know where he went, though."

"Was he carrying something?"

"I don't think so." Sakura shook her head. "Nope. He wasn't carrying anything."

Hinata sighs in relief. If he wasn't carrying anything, then he would surely be coming back. His sword seems to be too important for him to discard it. Her previous encounter with him would attest to that.

"Why? Is there something missing?" Sakura asked.

Hinata immediately shook her head. "I was just wondering." She heads to her own room, looking around her shelves for a new kimono. "When did he leave?"

"Very early," Sakura loudly answers to reach her. "Before the sun could rise. I bumped into him on the way here." Hinata jumped a bit when she heard the plates slamming hard onto the table. "That guy even had the nerve to joke around that you were dead! I can't believe him!"

Hinata just kept quiet and continued dressing, not knowing what to say. She was more surprised that Kiba did not even attack Sakura when she tried to pry into his business. Maybe he just did not have the energy to do so, considering that he was more wounded than expected.

Upon finishing, she goes to her porch where her small garden was located. The birds who feasted upon the fruits of the small tree immediately flew away upon her arrival. On the right of the garden was the streets of Konoha, littered with people who do their usual businesses like every other day. Her mind wonders back to Kiba. It was already noon. Where did he even go for him to take this long? She just hoped that he didn't get lost on the way home.

"Are you really sure that he's a traveler, Hinata?" Sakura asked, approaching the girl.

Hinata looks back, meeting Sakura's evergreen eyes. It really matched her hair color. No wonder her parents named her after the eponymous flowers.

After a short silence, she nods, looking back at the garden. "Why?" she asks, "What do you think he is?" It's rather hard to lie when your face-to-face with the person you're lying to. Then again, Sakura's smart. She'll easily figure it out. Maybe she already has and just needed confirmation from her.

Sakura opens her mouth to respond but stopped when they both heard the door opening. The two looked at each other, already having an idea who it was and headed towards the kitchen.

"You're back," Hinata whispers upon seeing Kiba in front of the door, lining up his sandals before he went up. Her lips couldn't help but smile at that.

His eyes looked up at her and shifts to the side, his face turning into disgust when he sees Sakura.

"Why are you still here…" he mumbles and heads towards his room, sliding the door shut, only for Sakura's hand to suddenly grab it and slides it back open.

"You're not going anywhere!" Sakura said between her grunts as the two fought over the door. "I waited here for hours to tend to your wounds and you're just going to ignore me?"

"What the hell," Kiba said, his eyes widening at the surprising amount of strength Sakura was showing. "You fucking maniac, leave me alone!"

"No!" Sakura cried out, now using two hands to slide open the door. Seconds ago, Kiba was overpowering her despite his wounds, but now that she's using both of her hands, it was obvious that Sakura was going to win.

Hinata notices Kiba's eyes darken, his lips forming into a straight line as he looked down at Sakura. She knew that look very well. He was planning something.

"Sakura, I-I think you should-"

Before Hinata could finish her sentence, Kiba had let go of the door. The door immediately went off the rail, itself and Sakura landing onto the floor. Sakura's hands went through the paper door, putting a big hole in the center.

For a moment, the house was quiet. Kiba stared at Sakura who was still on the floor, her short, pink hair hanging down her face. Hinata stood there, motionless. She was expecting something worse, like Kiba suddenly choking Sakura, but it ended up milder than she thought of. Harsh, but still.

Then a sob came. Not from Hinata, but from Sakura. Tears were dropping onto the broken door, its pitter-patter loud and clear. Her head remained hanging down, her face blocked by her hair, but it was obvious. Sakura Haruno was crying. Sakura Haruno never cries. And yet, here she was. Crying.

Kiba scrunches down his eyebrows, bewildered. He meets Hinata's eyes, as if telling her to do something, but Hinata really didn't know what to do. This was the first time she had seen Sakura cry.

"S-Sakura?" she calls her name, touching her shoulder gently. She pulled her hand back when she heard another sob.

Kiba scratches his head. Hinata wasn't sure if it was from annoyance or confusion. Probably both.

"Will you stop that? What the hell are you even crying for?"

Sakura wipes her tears with the back of her hand, her back still facing Kiba and Hinata.

"It's your fault in the first place. I told you to leave me alone."

Kiba winces in disgust when Sakura sobbed even more.

"Are you serious?"

Sakura finally stands up and Hinata finally sees her face. Her eyes were red on the edges, from the constant rough wiping from her hands.

"I'm sorry for the door, Hinata," Sakura said between her sobs as she picks up the door.

Hinata blinks and nods, reaching out to help her with the door.

Then Sakura swings the door to Kiba.

Though surprised, Kiba had somehow managed to block it with his arm before it hit him. He winces from the pain from both his hip and arm, and Sakura took this chance to hit him again. This time, Kiba catches it with both of his hands and removes it from Sakura's grasp. Perhaps, too easily, because by the time he threw the door to the side, Sakura jumped, launching herself towards him.

He steps back when Sakura collides to him, making him hit his head hard at the wall that made Hinata gasp with the sound. Though there was no blood, it was definitely painful with the way he held his head while gritting his teeth. Sakura was straddling him, forcing him to not go anywhere and prepares to punch him in the face.

Her fist instead lands on Kiba's hand, who caught it on time.

Amused, Sakura's smile widens and she puts more force into her fist. Their arms trembled, both exerting equivalent force. For a second, Sakura looked like she was going to win and was actually going to land a punch, only for Kiba to suddenly loosen his grip, making Sakura falter and throwing her to the side. She lands on her back with a painful grunt, and Kiba sits up, exhausted.

The two breathed heavily, especially Kiba who was now holding his sides, gripping onto his clothing as if his life depended on it. Sakura sits up, noticing Kiba's situation, and widens her eyes when she notices that he was bleeding once again. The stitches must have opened while they were fighting.

Upon checking that everything has finally calmed down, Hinata finally approaches the two. Her house was a wreck, but was glad that Sakura ended up fine. Or rather, she was glad that Kiba managed to survive Sakura's wrath. Either way, she was glad that two was still alive. Repairs for the door are a bit expensive, though. Maybe she'll try to beg the repairman to lower the price.

"Here, let me see that," Sakura says, removing Kiba's hand and checking the wound. He leans his back to the wall and straightens his legs, only to end up wincing in pain when his head landed. Hinata gently placed her hand behind his head to check if there was blood, but found nothing.

"It's going to be slightly difficult to sleep with a bump on your head," Sakura said with a laugh.

He lets out a tired groan. "Whose fault do you think is that?"

"Admit it. You got caught off guard! You thought that I was really crying, didn't you?"

"You were."

"I wasn't!"

"Sure."

"I really wasn't!"

Hinata started giggling as Sakura continued to convince Kiba that she _really_ wasn't crying, despite him not caring at all whether she did or not.

* * *

"You really need to stop walking around."

Kiba turns his head at Hinata who walked towards the porch, holding a tray with two cups, a teapot, and a plate of sliced fruits of various selection. Here he thought that he was finally going to be able to relax a bit when he found out that her house had a small garden, but alas, he was not alone in the world. Not anymore.

He sits up as she sets the tray on the ground, pouring both of them a cup of green tea. Crossing his legs under him, he leans his back onto the paper door, looking back at the garden in front of them. Hinata hands him the cup but he waves it off, and she smiles to herself, putting it back on the tray.

"How's your body?" she asks, trying to strike a conversation. Does she still not know how much he hated talking? Is she that dumb to not even notice? Then again, this village seem to be full of ridiculous people from the few people he had seen. Especially that woman, Sakura. She was the epitome of crazy. Probably the craziest woman he'd ever met. Unless there's someone even worse in this village which he highly doubts.

That woman. Is she even really a doctor? You're supposed to make the patients feel better, not worse! Thanks to her, not only would his wound take longer to heal, but he received another injury as well. She even had the audacity to laugh. Payback or not, it was infuriating. It made his stay into this garbage of a village longer than necessary. When he gets his sword back, he swore that she'll be the first one in his list.

He crosses his arms, inserting the other in the opposite sleeve, hiding his arms. His eyes shift towards Hinata who probably had given up when he didn't respond. She instead started munching onto one of the slices of the apple, her bites small and slow.

He looks away before she turned her head to him.

For a few days, he had thought that Hinata was the worst person in existence. She blackmailed him by hiding his sword, as if she held power over him. But now that he met Sakura, he was kind of glad he ended up at her home. As dumb as Hinata was, she was at least kind. And quiet, which he wanted most out of everything else. He couldn't imagine what he would encounter if he ended up in someone else's home.

Grabbing the cup, he takes a few sips. Green tea wasn't his favorite, but rarely does he get a chance to drink such an expensive tea, so he enjoys it as much as he can. Only upper classes get to enjoy it most of the time.

He blinks, the edge of the cup barely touching his lips. How did Hinata get hold of such an expensive tea anyway? He does not remember any green tea plantation in Konoha when he took that walk. Nor does he remember anyone selling it. Nor would anyone sell it here as it is a small, poor village. The only way Hinata could get this is if she decided to travel to big villages like Suna where it is more common there.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asks, snapping Kiba out of daze. For once, he had shown a bit of vulnerability in front of her. "Is it not to your liking?"

He looks at her as she waited for his response and shook his head. Perhaps, a merchant did come through Konoha one day and Hinata decided to spend her money onto this tea. It's the only answer he could even think of.

For a while, they sat there together in peace. She watches the fireflies that flew around the pond, while his eyes were on the moon. Age really does change you throughout the years. When he was still young, he couldn't even shut up for a few seconds, always wanting to fill the silence with something. But now, he much prepared to sit around and relax.

"Thank you, by the way," Hinata says, her voice soft and tiny. She knew that he would not respond and so, continued. "For tucking me in last night, even though I was supposed to take care of you. It made me sleep a bit better," she laughs, her cheeks tinted with pink.

"You're really a handful," he says. "Made it harder to sleep with you by my side."

"I-I'm sorry."

He lets out an air out of his nose, his eyebrows furrowed down, emptying his cup before standing up. He was already tired, being throw doors and punches and all. Not to mention, the medicine Sakura gave him seems to be already taking effect. The only thing in his mind right now was to drop down to his bed and doze off.

* * *

He stands up, giving one last look at the garden in front of them, before heading back to his room. His footsteps were silent as it hit the wooden floor, a small habit that she noticed. He was probably used to not make any noise as he always tries to hide from someone. It made her footsteps seem louder in comparison.

Hinata sighs, feeling slightly defeated. She just really wants to get to know him more, but obviously, he did not return that feeling. For Kiba, Hinata was just a caretaker. He needed her to have a place to stay. As soon as he gets healed, he'll be out faster than lightning.

She tucks her stray hair behind her ear and started tidying up. She grabs the cup he used, content that he drank everything. At the very least, he seems to enjoy what she little she could give to him. Or maybe he was just obligated to do so. And now, she felt terrible.

But somehow, she smiled, knowing that despite Kiba's ruthlessness, there was still kindness left inside him. Despite everything, he never denied the fact that he was the one who really did fix her on the bed.

* * *

 **Congratulations for reaching the end. Here's some skittles.**

 **It's been a while since I wrote. Got kind of rusty, but the stories are already planned out so no need to worry about me forgetting the plot.**

 **Will be updating this and the other slowly from now on.**

 **Anyway, thank you and see you next chapter~**


End file.
